The rejection this Wednesday of the PP, Junts and Vox to the omnibus decree presented by the Government has many consequences. Among them, the disappearance of Government aid to public transport in Spain, including the buses of Lanzarote.
"The free bus service in Lanzarote will be maintained in 2025. If we don't get this resolved, it will be paid with funds from the Cabildo itself," Domingo Cejas, Minister of Transport of the first island institution, explained to Ekonomus.
In parallel, the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, during his appearance before the media this Thursday in Madrid during Fitur, has confirmed that "the Cabildo is committed to seeking funding to have all the necessary funds available".
"The ideal scenario is for this to be redirected, for the Government to bring this proposal back and confirm that the subsidy is maintained, but we are going to guarantee at least 2025 and we will look for a way with resources from the Cabildo," Cejas completed.
The councilor clarified that the entire Canary archipelago demands 160 million per year from the State to cover 100% of public transport, but last year only received 81 million.
The public bus service in Lanzarote costs 8.5 million euros per year. The Government of the Canary Islands contributes about three million and the State provides "something more than two million, which are the ones that were not approved yesterday, so now instead of three we will have to find five million," clarifies the Minister of Transport.
"Free public transport not only promotes fairer and more accessible mobility, but is also an essential step to reduce dependence on private vehicles and move towards a more sustainable island model," added the councilor.
Meanwhile, the General Director of Transport and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, María Fernández, has called for calm and recalled that there is a budget item for free transport in the general state budgets.
Fernández has clarified that what the Congress of Deputies did not validate is "the formula" by which the Government releases the funds to the Canary Islands to face this measure "and under what conditions".
